The world of classic cars can be a difficult one to predict.
While the likes of limited-edition classic Ferraris and ex-racing Aston Martins are always going to soar in value, other less exclusive motors can also experience a surge in demand – take the crazy prices being paid for Fast Fords from the 1980s right now.
But there are other cars that, at the peak of their use, were the butt of jokes yet now could be worth quite a bit of money. Or so we’re being told…
Crap classics: You won’t believe the values of some of these cars, which were once the butt of motoring jokes. See the rundown of nine unlikely collectible motors in 2020, including the Robin Reliant (pictured)
A list of unlikely collectible cars has been collated by leasing firm Select Car Leasing, having reviewed some of the prices being demanded for these once-ridiculed motors.
The list of nine ‘crap classics’ is made up of unlikely models that have recently seen a surge in demand as nostalgic previous owners look to regain some part of their youth with a car they drove year ago.
The leasing company says prices of these cars have recently accelerated rapidly – even though owners would have been embarrassed to be seen in them a few decades ago.
‘These are cars which, if we’re being very generous, didn’t garner many admiring glances. And yet here we are, several decades later, with people often willing to part with five figure sums for vehicles which did well to avoid the scrap heap,’ says Mark Tongue, director at Select Car Leasing.
‘Ironically, the fact they were largely awful merely adds to their desirability now.’
The list – incredibly – includes a number of British Leyland models, as the questionable build quality means that few have managed to survived the test of time.
‘That scarcity, combined with potentially hazardous levels of nostalgia, means people are now willing to pay through the nose to relive memories of their youth,’ adds Mr Tongue.
Here are there picks, and the price – they claim – you’ll need to pay today for a good one in 2020, in order of highest value to the lowest:
The Talbot Sunbeam wasn’t all that, but the Talbot Sunbeam Lotus – based on the rally car – was, and still is, a bit of a cult hero
1. Talbot Sunbeam (1977-1981)
Value in 2020: £16,000
Originally known as the Chrysler Sunbeam before it changed its name, the Talbot Sunbeam was manufactured at the Linwood factory in Scotland, largely funded by a UK Government grant to try to keep production going.
But while the Sunbeam looked the part – particularly the hot 1600ti version – owners struggled to keep rust at bay, which claimed most examples way before 2020 came around.
Those who did manage to preserve theirs, and kept them in glorious condition – could next expect to be paid in the region of £16,000, Select Car Leasing says.
Meanwhile the rally-spec and awesome looking Talbot Sunbeam Lotus will set you back at least £25,000.
The TR7 – also know as ‘The Wedge’ – looked sporty (in the ’70s) but was riddled with reliability issues
2. Triumph TR7 (1974-1981)
Value in 2020: £10,000
From some angles the TR7 – another effort by British Leyland – certainly looks the part, particularly in soft-top guise. But it was another vehicle hampered by reliability problems.
Manufacturing was hamstrung by constant strikes at the Speke factory in Liverpool, which led to issues on the production line.
Owners moaned about rusted bodies, leaking engines and worrisome oil pressure histrionics.
But there are still plenty of Triumph fans who say there’s an achingly brilliant car in there just waiting to be saved. And that’s why you can now spend £10,000 on a good TR7.
There are fewer things on four wheels more dull than an Austin Allegro, but enthusiasts are still willing to pay a premium for good examples
3. Austin Allegro (1973-1982)
Value in 2020: £9,000
The Allegro won few fans when it first emerged from the British Leyland factory in 1973, and many owners reported issues with leaky bodywork and dangerously ceased wheel bearings.
The dumpy, bulbous looks also gave it the nickname the ‘Flying Pig’, while owners who had to cope with endless breakdowns dubbed it the ‘All Aggro’.
It has struggled to win plaudits since. For instance, in 2008 the Allegro was voted the ‘worst car of all time’ by internet magazine iMotormag.
Yet some Allegros are now changing hands for upwards of £9,000 as retro lovers start to see their appeal. If you really have to, the Vanden Plas model offers a ‘luxury’ interior and the best values.
It’s hard to believe production of the Robin went on until 2001. These examples were from 1999 and show a modern (at the time) twist on the three-wheel legend
4. Reliant Robin (1973-2001)
Value in 2020: £6,500
One of the original selling points of the Reliant Robin was the fact it could be driven on a B1 motorcycle licence, up until the legislation was tightened in 2001.
But it didn’t stop the Robin becoming the butt of most motoring jokes in the UK.
It was slow, with a 850cc engine that took 17 seconds to get to 60 miles an hour. And it also had a terrifying reputation for being unstable, toppling over when going around corners.
Fans, however, love them and restored examples can cost upwards of £6,500.
But don’t confuse the Robin with Del Boy and Rodney’s embarrassing motor of choice in the long-running BBC sitcom Only Fools and Horses. Their yellow smoke-belcher was a Reliant Regal van.
British Leyland produced plenty of poor cars in its heyday – arguably none more so than the Morris Marina. Who is paying £6,000 for one of these today?
5. Morris Marina (1971-1980)
Value in 2020: £6,000
The Marina was supposed to be a competitor to the Ford Cortina and Escort. At the time, they were the biggest rivals any family car could have.
And in the Marina’s defense, it sold in large numbers – almost a million in the UK, in fact.
But poor handling, bad suspension, understeer and a habit of rusting means the Marina is another chapter in the British Leyland horror story.
There are now just 374 left on UK roads and – as a result – prices are going upwards. A bog-standard 1.3 litre coupe can be yours for around £6,000, while the better looking 1.8 GT is slightly more sought after.
You’ve been Nova-taken’: The Vauxhall Nova was the much-ridiculed supermini of the ’80s and ’90s, famed by boy racers in baseball caps spinning them on roundabouts and crashing into ditches
6. Vauxhall Nova (1983-1993)
Value in 2020: £5,000
Those of us of a certain age will remember the bumper stickers: ‘You’ve been Nova-taken’; ‘Vauxhall Cassanova’; and ‘I ain’t over my Vauxhall Nova’. And it seems the latter might explain why the leasing firm thinks some people will pay up to £5,000 for one.
Ironic now, but a Novataken sticker was the thing to have back in the hatch’s glory days
No urban estate was complete without a Nova being razzed through the streets by a baseball cap-wearing boy racer – which was a common reason for most to head to a scrapyard.
That, a reputation for rust – particularly around the rear arches and bottom of the doors – and plenty of gearbox issues means there are fewer than 1,000 left on the roads.
Yet now even the gutless 1.2 litre-engined versions are for sale for north of £4,000.
Meanwhile, the much-lusted over GTE variant goes for around £10,000. Watch out for massive holes in the parcel shelf where huge speakers once sat.
This very Austin Maxi is up for auction later this month, with a staggering higher estimate of £4,500. However, it has done very few miles, given the age
7. Austin Maxi (1969-1981)
Value in 2020: £4,500
Think this valuation for the ultra-bland Austin Maxi is a bit extreme? That’s what the higher estimate is for the car pictured, which is due to be sold at auction at the end of this month.
The Maxi was the last car designed under the legendary British Motor Corporation (BMC) before it was incorporated into the new British Leyland group, and was the last production car penned by famed designer Alec Issigonis – the same man who drew up the original Mini.
This 1981 example, a Maxi 2 1750L, is a fine case in point that people will pay good money for cars that bring back memories – even if they aren’t of good vehicles.
In its day a very ordinary family car, yet 39 years later it’s being offered to the highest bidder and expected to sell for between £3,500 and £4,500.
It its defense, this one has done just 8,700 warranted miles, which surely adds to its interest for a collector.
The Metro had tough shoes to fill, being the next-generation small car after the iconic Mini. It failed miserably
8. Austin Metro (1980-1986)
Value in 2020: £3,500
The Metro had big shoes to fill, arriving to plug the void left by the outgoing Mini. But this was another British Leyland car mired by production and reliability niggles.
The marketing blurb billed it as a ‘British Car to Beat The World’ – but critics soon found plenty to moan about.
One review by Top Gear’s Quentin Willson in 1991 pointed out that it was ‘too rough, too temperamental, too aged and too unrefined to be taken seriously as a second-hand car’.
Wilson – now an ardent campaigner for fairer fuel prices – also said it ‘had all the finesse and subtlety of a thumb in the eye’, while ‘the only thing an old Metro does well is rust’.
Amazingly, however, some fans are still willing to pay £3,500 plus for a low-mileage example of one today.
The Frontera was a hard-looking 4X4 that was as tough as soggy newspaper. These had so many reliability gremlins that owners could barely keep count of what went wrong
9. Vauxhall Frontera (1991-2004)
Value in 2020: £3,000
The bulky Frontera was built at the Bedford van factory in Luton to satisfy the UK’s growing taste for 4x4s – and to play Land Rover at its own game.
Yet the Frontera was beset by reliability problems, including a major recall in the late Nineties to remedy a fault with the steering.
Owners also complain of rust, dodgy electrics, poor suspension and snapping cambelts.
To add insult to injury, the heavyweight SUV was also a drain on the wallet as you’ll be lucky to get more than 20 miles to the gallon from any of the engines.
Despite all that, a well looked after Frontera can set you back around £3,000.
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